麻豆传媒

Background Image Alternative Text: student lounge rendering by Elle Mason - people sit in two sets of wooden booths with triangular roofs
Background Image Alternative Text: student lounge rendering by Elle Mason - people sit in two sets of wooden booths with triangular roofs

Elle Mason announced as winner of S|ARC student lounge design competition

鈥淚 look forward to seeing students interact with and enjoy the space,鈥 Mason said. 鈥淚t is an incredible opportunity to be involved in something that will be a part of the building for years to come.鈥

Third-year architecture student Katherine 鈥淓lle鈥 Mason of Cobden, Illinois, is the winner of the Mississippi 麻豆传媒 University School of Architecture鈥檚 recent competition to design a student lounge.

Announced at the end of the fall semester, the competition offered students a chance to design their own lounge area with a prize of $250. The site for the S|ARC student lounge competition was the first floor in "the barn" of Giles, the area currently occupied by printers and one vending machine. The proposed designs could also occupy the triangular area across from the printers. Students were encouraged to utilize wood or other supplies that have been donated to the shop for their designs.

Elle Mason stands in front of the entrance to Giles Hall. "architecture is written on top of the building"
Elle Mason

鈥淚 was immediately excited about the idea of designing a space for me and my peers and contributing to the effort of improving student life,鈥 said Mason. 鈥淎lso, this contest gave me the opportunity to have my first design project come to life, which was especially significant to me because this space will be located in Giles Hall, where I spend so much of my time as an architecture student.鈥

Mason鈥檚 design consists of two separate sets of benches that are enclosed with a variation of wooden configurations. The entirety of the project was designed using basic 2鈥 x 4鈥 wooden boards. Directly across from this space, a proposed coffee and snack bar displays the same geometric style and common materials. Included is a cabinet for snacks, shelves for cups and other items, an opening for the storage of Keurig cups, as well as an allocated space for a small refrigerator and a Keurig machine.

鈥淲hen I designed the lounge space, I wanted to create a space where students can relax and revive themselves throughout their busy days,鈥 said Mason. 鈥淭he coffee bar will allow students to stop by and get a cup of coffee in the morning to wake up before their early classes. The mini fridge and snack bar will allow them to store and access food throughout the day when they can鈥檛 find the time to leave their projects. The lounge itself provides a quiet and somewhat private space where students can rest or even take a quick nap after a long night in studio.鈥

Director of the School of Architecture Karen Cordes Spence agreed.

鈥淲e selected this design to build for our school because we feel like it will give our students a great place to take a break, visit with one another, and just relax,鈥 she said.

Mason said she鈥檚 also excited to participate in the construction process and watch how her design comes to life. 

According to Spence, plans are currently in the works to construct the space this semester.

鈥淓lle will be a major part, of course,鈥 she said, 鈥渁nd Freedom by Design will build it. And then anyone who wishes to help build will be able to join Freedom by Design, and we鈥檒l hopefully have the booths soon.鈥 

鈥淚t will be a wonderful service to everyone to have this kind of support space in the Barn,鈥 she added. 

鈥淚 look forward to seeing students interact with and enjoy the space,鈥 Mason said. 鈥淚t is an incredible opportunity to be involved in something that will be a part of the building for years to come.鈥

View the winning design.

Architecture

(662) 325-2202

Building Construction Science

(662) 325-8305

Interior Design

(662) 325-0530

Dean's Office

(662) 325-5150